Acts 8:31-35

"'How can I [understand],' he said, 'unless someone explains it to me?' Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus."

Philip asked the Ethiopian (probably a Gentile proselyte) if he understood what he was reading, and the man admitted that he did not. Many valuable literature and radio ministries are being conducted today among some of the world’s unreached peoples. But these peoples often have the same problem as the Ethiopian eunuch: they need further face-to-face explanation of what they read and hear. The Great Commission is a call for God’s people to live among peoples isolated from such opportunities.

Pray for more face-to-face laborers who will begin from the Scriptures and preach Jesus to unreached peoples.

Zoroastrian Parsees in the U.K.

What is the oldest monotheistic religion in the world? It is not one of these three: Judaism, Christianity or Islam. It is Zoroastrianism, which some claim originated 6,000+years B.C. in northeastern Iran. Zoroastrianism was once the dominant religion of Asia. Most Zoroastrians are ethnic Parsees who fled from Persia (Iran) to North India 1,400 years ago.

They excelled in business and professional careers under Britain’s dominance in India, and due to the British influence, many immigrated to Britain as long ago as 400 years. When they arrived in England, their business acumen earned them the complimentary nickname, “Jews of India.” They have easily assimilated into the British culture, but still remain fiercely loyal to their Zoroastrian religion. Today there are about 5,000 Parsees in Great Britain, mostly in London.

Following the three tenets of their faith - good thoughts, good words, and good deeds, they are model citizens. Their numbers, however, are dwindling, 200,000 worldwide, because they are unwilling to allow conversions to their faith. Their few priests have spent years memorizing their scriptures in an ancient Persian language. Two years ago, the Zoroastrians ordained a 12-year-old student of their Dadar Athornan Madressa in India to be a priest. This student wants to be an accountant.